It seems that our love affair with the Great British banger is showing no sign of losing its sizzle.
Featuring in more than half-a-billion out-of-home meal occasions annually, sausages now account for 20% of all red meat servings outside the family house (NPD Crest, March 2014). Added to this, there has been a 63% year-on-year increase in menu listings for hot dogs (Horizons Menurama, summer 2014).
It’s no surprise then, that BPEX (British Pork Executive) is urging pub caterers to make the most of this year’s British Sausage Week (BSW), which runs from Monday 3 November to Sunday 9 November.
Red Tractor
Now in its 17th year, BPEX foodservice trade manager Tony Goodger says BSW is a superb platform for pubs to fly the flag for quality-assured Red Tractor-certified sausages and increase sales of sausage-based dishes.
“From new recipe ideas to themed-events, the week provides the ideal platform to promote premium and speciality sausage varieties as well as encouraging creativity in the kitchen,” he says.
And with more than 500 sausage varieties available nationwide, there is no shortage of opportunities for publicans to differentiate themselves, Goodger argues.
“It is well worth trading up and looking for quality sausages made from outdoor-reared or free-range pigs, and using this information on menus to justify a price premium and generate added interest,” he adds.
Discerning customers tend to demand more detailed menu descriptions when making their meal choices, so including information on the meat content, listing the main sausage ingredients and identifying locally produced or award-winning sausages will all to help drive sales.
Hot dogs
Spare a thought for the trend towards gourmet hot dogs too, suggests Goodger.
“Gourmet hot dogs give publicans the opportunity to generate increased sales and profit by offering customers the choice to add toppings, choose from a range of bread styles and pick their favourite hot dog-style sausage — many of which are now made using assured pork,” he explains.
To support the week, BPEX is offering up a number of recipe ideas. One of the recipes is a sausage pithivier, which is an enclosed puff-pastry pie stuffed with sausage meat, breadcrumbs, chives and pieces of apple and walnut. Other suggestions include chorizo sausages and vegetable bake, and herby sausage cakes.
Each recipe is available to download from http://porkforcaterers.bpex.org.uk/ and comes with full nutritional guidelines.
British Sausage Week event ideas
Away from the food, BPEX says tasting menus, charity fundraising events, quiz nights and even a sausage-making masterclass are all ways to help generate interest and sales of sausage dishes during the week.
It might also be worth timing an event to coincide with the BSW nationwide tour. This year’s tour will feature BSW ambassador Phil Vickery, the former England and Lions rugby player and winner of Celebrity Masterchef 2011, who will be sampling some of the finest quality-assured sausages throughout the country.
“With a farming background and also being a keen cook myself, British Sausage Week is a cause close to my heart,” Vickery says.
Castle Rock’s ‘boozy’ bangers
Nottingham brewer Castle Rock is celebrating BSW with a series of dishes and deals across a number of its pubs.
Offers include a free dessert with every sausage dish at the city’s Bread & Bitter, while the Fox & Crown, in Newark, will invite customers to try their ‘Castle Rock bangers’, specially made by Farndon Fields Farm Shop, in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
The Kean’s Head, in Nottingham, plans to offer a selection of ‘boozy’ sausages — one of which will contain Belgian beer Leifman’s Kriek and caramelised red onion. Similarly, the city’s Poppy & Pint will be serving a selection of sausages accompanied with gravy that is made using Castle Rock ale.
Top tips for British Sausage Week
Supplied by BPEX
■ Give customers more information about the sausages you serve and their ingredients.
■ Use attractive and descriptive dish names — customers are much more likely to choose a dish with enticing language that suggests how it might taste.
■ Introduce new ‘celebratory’ sausage varieties — whether it’s a classic pork sausage for a traditional cooked breakfast or a highly seasoned variety in a contemporary dish.
■ Put sausages on the ‘specials’ menu or have a dedicated sausage menu that highlights the fact they are locally sourced and outdoor reared.
■ Make recommendations for beers, wines and ciders that match your sausages depending on the flavours, such as chilli or herbs.
■ Host charity fundraising events, with sausages or a sausage meal as the prize.